Season of Friendship
by Air-Crafter
Summary: Ronno has a hard life. His father trains him without breaks to be evil and a murderer. But a certain prince can change that all, and make Ronno feel like what it feels to have a friend. Bambi.
1. Chapter 1

Sun had risen in The Great Forest. Birds were singing. Animals were minding their own business. But it all was shattered by a loud cry of a young fawn.

''DAD, stop!''

''NOT UNTIL YOU LEARN TO OBEY ME!'' Ryan shouted, hitting his son with his strong antlers.

''B-But I c-can't kill an l-living creature!'' Ronno sobbed silently, trying to crawl away from the strong hits of his father.

''FOR YOUR LIVING SAKE, YOU WILL!'' Ryan yelled angrily. He had gotten so angry over the fact that his son hasn't killed the squirrel that had wandered into their den. Any animal that trespassed was an intruder and sent to straight death.

''J-Just stop it!'' Ronno half-yelled through his painful tears. ''Y-You're hurting m-me!''

''DON'T SHOW ANY WEAKNESS TO ME, YOU CUNT!'' Ryan yelled, aiming at his son to take another hit.

''N-No! Stop! I'll obey you!'' Ronno got up to his shaking hooves.

''Good.'' Ryan smirked, then pushed him roughly towards the frightened squirrel. ''Do it.'' Ronno stared in terror at the squirrel. Did his father really expect him to KILL him? ''Well, what are you waiting for? KILL HIM!''

Ronno still stood, not doing anything.

''KILL HIM!'' Ryan yelled, becoming angry. ''Or do you want to have another piece of my mind?''

Ronno froze. ''N-No. I'll do it.''

He turned to the squirrel, and raised his hoof, what made the poor squirrel tremble. Ronno looked at him with an opened eye. ''I'm sorry.'' He spoke half-whispering. And then he closed his eyes and smacked his hooves down hardly on the victim.

He opened his eyes when he heard his father chuckling. He saw that he had, indeed, killed the squirrel. It was lying there, not unconscious, but dead.

''You have done it. I'm proud of you.'' Ryan said, for once pleased that he had gotten what he wanted.

''B-But I k-killed him.'' Ronno began to cry a little bit. He had murdered someone. KILLED someone. Killed a living creature.

''So? You made a right choice. Killing anyone who comes near here will be your strength.''

''BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE A MURDERER!'' Ronno yelled on top of his lungs, pretty angrily.

''DON'T YELL AT ME, CHILD!'' Ryan got angry to see his son acting all-weak again.

He raised his hooves to give him a good hit, but he never got to do it.

''Stop it right now, Ryan!'' Ronno knew that voice. It belonged to Matthew, The Great Prince Of The Forest. He raised his head. Yes, the king was there along with his young son, Bambi, who stared at the happening with pretty fearful eyes.

Without wasting any moment, Ronno got up and ran shakily up to Bambi, hugging him tightly, hoping it would wash his pain away.

Bambi just smiled. He had known Ronno for a few months now. He was nothing like his father. ''It's okay, Ronno.'' He said softly.

''N-No, it's n-not.'' Ronno sobbed. ''I-I killed him!''

''Killed 'who'?'' Bambi asked.

''Him! The s-squirrel!'' Ronno pointed at the dead squirrel lying few feet away from them in the snow. ''U-Under my f-father's order!''

''You didn't kill him personally,'' Bambi said, soothingly. ''So, don't worry. It wasn't basically your fault you had to kill him. Everything in a forest has its season,'' He repeated what his mother had told him that a week ago. ''When one thing falls, another grows. Maybe not what was there before, but something new and wonderful, all the same.''

Ronno shivered, and tried to forget that he _had_ killed someone.

''How dare you treat your son that way!'' Matthew shouted at his younger brother angrily.

''IT'S _MY_ SON! I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT WITH HIM!'' Ryan roared back.

''Making him kill a living creature is how you train your son?! Training him to kill?''

''SHUT UP! I KNOW MY WAYS! HE NEEDS TO LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTH!'' Ryan growled, fire burning in his eyes.

Matthew didn't reply. He just glared deeply at his younger brother, and then at Ronno with his son. ''Come, Ronno.'' He gently said. Ronno got up, and by Bambi's side, went along with the king.

''WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH MY SON!?'' Ryan growled after them.

''He'll be back before sunset!'' Matthew shouted back, and then lead the two fawns away from the thicket.

Ronno shivered, holding back a tear. He NEVER wanted to go back there.


	2. Chapter 2

Elena, the mate of Matthew and the mother of Bambi, was waiting in front of the den for her mate and son return from their morning patrol. When she finally saw them, she went to greet them.

''Finally you're back. What took you so long?'' She inquired. That was when she spotted Ronno curled up in a ball position right beside Bambi. ''Oh…''

''Look, dear, who we found on our patrol. Ryan was abusing him again.''

''Again?'' Elena frowned, shaking her head in disappointment. ''He never learns.'' She thought back on the day she, Matthew and Ryan first became adolescents.

 _FLASHBACK_

 _Elena was walking on the meadow, and leaned down to eat some grass. Then, she heard footsteps, and knew who it was. ''Hello, Matthew.'' She smiled, raising her head._

'' _You look so alone out here.'' Matthew approached her slowly. ''Want some company?''_

 _Elena smirked. ''Why not?''_

 _The two of them walked most of the time together on the meadow, sometimes locking their gazes on each other. But then they heard more footsteps. They looked up to see the second prince of The Great Forest stepping up to them with a grin on his face. His ear was chewed because of his fight with a younger fawn earlier. The fawn, only 6 years old, was surprisingly brave against Ryan._

'' _Well, well, well.'' Ryan began in his daily amused tone. ''What do we have here? The crown heir Matthew and….. Elena.'' He turned away from his older brother and smirked, before walking towards the adolescent doe._

 _Then, without him even realizing it, Matthew leaped around and made a protecting position in front of Elena. ''You leave her alone!'' Matthew threatened. He knew how crazy his brother can go when he gets some twisted ideas in his mind. But now when he wanted to ''have'' Elena…. That was way too much for the heir._

'' _Says who?'' Ryan looked bored._

'' _Says me! The future Great Prince!'' Matthew said in a strong voice, hoping Ryan would just back down, and leave them alone._

'' _Listen here, ''brother.'' Ryan got into his serious point again. ''You might be the ''heir'' and daddy's favorite son, but this is MY life, and MY choices. You have already taken everything I needed from you. Our parents' love, the throne and now you want to take Elena!?''_

 _Elena decided to speak up. ''Stop it, Ryan! I don't even like you! So, leave us alone.''_

 _Matthew looked at Ryan._

'' _You heard her. Cut it out!''_

'' _Oh, please. Like she's in charge here. I'm the male buck, and males do the choices, mostly.'' He then frowned. ''And YOU are only nothing but a wasted piece of pawn. Daddy's favorite son. Too bad that you were even 'born'!''_

 _Those words got Matthew mad, but not really mad. To scare Ryan away, he hit his hooves against the ground. That impact sent the ground tumbling a bit and Ryan fell over. When he got to his feet, he saw Matthew and Elena glaring down at him, feeling not pity for his ''fall.''_

'' _Go. Before I tell our father.''_

 _As much as Ryan despised Matthew, he was still scared of their father. ''Fine. I'll go.'' He got up, and gave the two deer's one last cold stare before galloping off._

 _Elena sighed. ''He never learns.''_

'' _I know.'' Matthew sighed. ''But at least we're safe.'' He hugged her a bit._

 _FLASHBACK ENDS_

Ronno had watched the king and Bambi setting out for meadow to go and eat. Elena stayed home to take care of her own things. Ronno, hesitating, didn't know whether to go with them or not.

''You can stay with me, if you want.'' Elena spoke. ''Let's talk about what happened between your father and you.''

Ronno pinned his ears against his head at the mention of his ''father.''

''Don't worry, it's okay.'' Elena said gently to the young fawn. ''Come.'' Ronno obeyed and got up, following the doe to the den.


End file.
